Did a particular torrent site that is very popular for TVshows just go down forvever?

[snplow]

Hi,

Has anyone noticed that a site that rhymes with bt efset just went down? I heard rumours that they closed down because of the MPAA. I thought TV shows were legal, it would be comparable to taping shows. Anyone got any info?

Thanks!

[porphyra]

Wow..yea just saw that too..

will have to check their IRC channel to see what's up. I hope its temporary. Was an awesome site..

[Gdog]

Hi,

Has anyone noticed that a site that rhymes with bt efset just went down? I heard rumours that they closed down because of the MPAA. I thought TV shows were legal, it would be comparable to taping shows. Anyone got any info?

Thanks!

Damn...I just visited this "site" and there is nothing to be found...nada...zilch. BOOO! :(

[felix]

yeah, I just found that site now long ago and it's already shut down. Thankfully I haven't missed any of my TV shows lately. :)

[Macross_Freek]

dang. I missed most of my tv shows the last 3 weeks or so too. I relied on them to catch up on them. Looks like I can't now. :( I would think downloading TV shows would be ok. If not, you could just as easily say a PVR is the same thing. Capturing the show and watching it later.

[NG]

:(

Why doesn't anybody in Canada give me the chance to pay for a channel that airs Real Time with Bill Maher :(

[[buck]]

:(

Why doesn't anybody in Canada give me the chance to pay for a channel that airs Real Time with Bill Maher :(

I love RTWBM! :cool: Would it not be on HBO? Don't we get all the HBO channels in Canada?

[henryh]

If not, you could just as easily say a PVR is the same thing. Capturing the show and watching it later.

It's not the same thing because YOU would have to do the capturing. Downloading is not the same.

[Macross_Freek]

It's not the same thing because YOU would have to do the capturing. Downloading is not the same.

You're right it's not the same. But I'll end up watching the show either way. I guess if the site was shut down for legal reasons the excuse that not everyone has TV could be used?

Is it actually legal to download TV shows?

[henryh]

Yes it is illegal to download TV shows.

The reason being, probably among others, downloading TV shows, you don't watch commercials. Also, sometimes I download Pimp My Ride (haha) but I don't subscribe to MTV.

[webdoctors]

keelie has locked every thread mentioning this, probably will do this one too when she finds it, so...

*** :evil:

[felix]

well there are always other torrent sites. Just that this one updates quickest I guess. :)

[NG]

well there are always other torrent sites. Just that this one updates quickest I guess. :)

It's the last TV only site I think.

[GTI]

i dunno what site you guys are talking about but there are other tv show ones...

[Jaytee]

Sucks, I use to love BTEFNET.


http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5705142.html

MPAA targets TV download sites

Continuing its war on Internet file-swapping sites, the Motion Picture Association of America said Thursday that it has filed lawsuits against a half-dozen hubs for TV show trading.

The trade association said that piracy of TV programming is growing quickly online, and that shows are as important to protect as big-budget films. This is the first legal action from the group that has focused most heavily on TV content.

"Every television series depends on other markets (such as) syndication and international sales to earn back the enormous investment required to produce the comedies and dramas we all enjoy," MPAA Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman said in a statement. "Those markets are substantially hurt when that content is stolen."

The latest round of suits retains a focus on BitTorrent technology, which has been widely used online to distribute movies and films.

The suits are focused on the sites that serve as traffic directors for BitTorrent swaps, rather than on individual computer users uploading and downloading content. The MPAA also has sued individuals, but has not said how many people have been targeted.

The six sites sued Thursday include ShunTV, Zonatracker, Btefnet, Scifi-Classics, CDDVDHeaven and Bragginrights.

[NG]

']I love RTWBM! :cool: Would it not be on HBO? Don't we get all the HBO channels in Canada?

He does rock :D

No - they are not here. As far as I know they have never applied to the CRTC for a license for Canada. Most Canadian networks pick up a couple of their shows each so most of HBO's shows are carried here - but not Maher. Plus unlike everyother HBO series it seems they don't put them in boxsets (which I can kinda understand). However at the very least they should sell it via pay per view or something. I'd pay a few bucks a month to watch it.

[bionicbadger]

Yes it is illegal to download TV shows.

The reason being, probably among others, downloading TV shows, you don't watch commercials. Also, sometimes I download Pimp My Ride (haha) but I don't subscribe to MTV.

The real problem is that half of the shows are not recorded, but pirated off DVDs that people can buy. When its on the net for free, less people will buy the DVDs.

[luthair]

The real problem is that half of the shows are not recorded, but pirated off DVDs that people can buy. When its on the net for free, less people will buy the DVDs.

Thats not true, the site the OP is referring to only dealt with recent shows.

My understanding is that downloading is fine but uploading violates copyright.

[Rehan]

My understanding is that downloading is fine but uploading violates copyright.That applies in Canada only to musical recordings (audio). Copyrighted movies and TV shows are not allowed to be uploaded or downloaded.

[Txiasaeia]

That applies in Canada only to musical recordings (audio). Copyrighted movies and TV shows are not allowed to be uploaded or downloaded.

Are you sure? What's the difference between downloading a TV show and recording it on a VCR and fastforwarding through the commercials?

[Rehan]

Are you sure?Yeah, that's the general consensus from the 'experts'. See http://www.canfli.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2

[Txiasaeia]

Yeah, that's the general consensus from the 'experts'. See http://www.canfli.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2

Call me nitpicky, but where in this FAQ does it mention television programs?

[Rehan]

Call me nitpicky, but where in this FAQ does it mention television programs?You're nitpicky. :)
"the private-copying exemption only applies to sound recordings". That means unauthorized copying of all other copyrighted works is illegal. "Movies, books, pictures, or software programs" are just listed as some examples because that's what people most often question. And technically speaking, a TV show *is* a motion picture -- i.e., a movie.

[Kevinck]

Are you sure? What's the difference between downloading a TV show and recording it on a VCR and fastforwarding through the commercials?

But what if you don't legally subscribe to the channel that airs a particular show. You're then getting something that you otherwise couldn't get without paying for it. It's still a form of pirating. If you do get that show on your tv package then personally I don't see a moral issue with downloading it as a form of timeshifting. But far too many people have a mental block with downloaded tv/movie/music that makes them equate anything free with legal.

And i believe, but don't quote me on it, there is a specific legal issue about providing a tv show with commercials intact. So when you have to manually remove or fastforward through the commercials it is ok, but having them removed before broadcast is illegal.

[Txiasaeia]

You're nitpicky. :)
"the private-copying exemption only applies to sound recordings". That means unauthorized copying of all other copyrighted works is illegal. "Movies, books, pictures, or software programs" are just listed as some examples because that's what people most often question. And technically speaking, a TV show *is* a motion picture -- i.e., a movie.

Okay, I've been looking at the Copyright Act R.S.C. 1985. There are three mentions of "television" at all, all of them specifically referring to television performances of music artists, not television programs themselves.

There's no way a TV show is a motion picture - the revenue source for both is different and the broadcast method is different (i.e. TV shows are shown for the first time on television networks, which is free for some people with rabbit ears, for example).

[YLSF]

How long before they have an iTV (i.e. iTUNES for tv)... Actually, if anyone wants to start one up let me know.. haha.. maybe the wave of the future. I imagine that the TV giants would be slow to agreeing to license their products though.

Sad that BTefnet is gone too.

[Txiasaeia]

But what if you don't legally subscribe to the channel that airs a particular show. You're then getting something that you otherwise couldn't get without paying for it. It's still a form of pirating. If you do get that show on your tv package then personally I don't see a moral issue with downloading it as a form of timeshifting. But far too many people have a mental block with downloaded tv/movie/music that makes them equate anything free with legal.

And i believe, but don't quote me on it, there is a specific legal issue about providing a tv show with commercials intact. So when you have to manually remove or fastforward through the commercials it is ok, but having them removed before broadcast is illegal.

Well, yes, if you don't legally get the show then downloading a TV episode is definitely not allowed. It's like downloading a movie that you don't have a physical copy of. But as for commercials, TIVO hardware is legal in Canada which skips through commercials, so really, what's the difference between a TIVOd show that you record and a TV show you download?

Honestly, I would absolutely love the ability to download a TV show from a network with commercials intact. If I were able to do this, I might actually watch a few commercials instead of changing the channel or muting the TV and reading a magazine. Why haven't broadcasters picked up on this yet?

[FuNPoLiCe001]

and right around season finale time...those bastards

[snplow]

It is really really frustrating because I do have satallite so the shows I download, I have rights to the show in a sense (the ones I download are also the shows found in my subscription package). The reason why I don't watch it on satalite is becaues I am usually busy when the TV show is on so I would just download the show for later enjoyment.

That isn't to say that there are other ones out there, but still, just the fact that the MPAA is doing this. Man, I bet the MPAA is really unpopular with alot people, just like the RIAA.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[xb0xb0y]

Well, yes, if you don't legally get the show then downloading a TV episode is definitely not allowed. It's like downloading a movie that you don't have a physical copy of. But as for commercials, TIVO hardware is legal in Canada which skips through commercials, so really, what's the difference between a TIVOd show that you record and a TV show you download?

Honestly, I would absolutely love the ability to download a TV show from a network with commercials intact. If I were able to do this, I might actually watch a few commercials instead of changing the channel or muting the TV and reading a magazine. Why haven't broadcasters picked up on this yet?

how about TV shows that don't even air in your country? i know some friends that watch shows from the UK that the don't even air in North America, let alone Canada.

[mrlarouc]

It is really really frustrating because I do have satallite so the shows I download, I have rights to the show in a sense (the ones I download are also the shows found in my subscription package). The reason why I don't watch it on satalite is becaues I am usually busy when the TV show is on so I would just download the show for later enjoyment.

That isn't to say that there are other ones out there, but still, just the fact that the MPAA is doing this. Man, I bet the MPAA is really unpopular with alot people, just like the RIAA.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Yup this is the same for me. I get the shows that I d/l over cable, I am just too lazy to set up the VCR to record them, cause I know that I can just find them on my computer! >:( With the loss of this site it means I have to go back google and start sorting thru the countless pr0n-laden BT sites to find a new one that offers TV shows without crappy popups, viruses, etc!! :/

[Txiasaeia]

how about TV shows that don't even air in your country? i know some friends that watch shows from the UK that the don't even air in North America, let alone Canada.

If we're talking about strict legality, unless you can legally receive the program, you can't "legally" download it (if we're going with the assumption that downloading TV shows are allowed through timeshifting). This is how I see it: say I don't get cable, so I'm limited to global, ctv, and cbc. Law and Order comes on tonight, but I miss it. Now, no matter how many people are actually watching the show, advertisers on CTV will make a certain amount of money while Law & Order is being played. Of course, these advertisers expect that those watching the show will also watch the commercials, but I usually change the channel or do something else.

Anyway, whether I decide to watch it on TV or download it the next day because I missed it, the advertisers are making their money, the producers of the show & actors are obviously making their money, and CTV is making a cut as well. So no matter how I actually watch it, everybody wins.

The question is, what happens when a significant portion of people move from watching a show on TV to downloadng it off of the net? If a large chunk of people are no longer watching those advertisements, then advertising drops off, which starts a chain reaction that I don't think I need to get into. What are the solutions? For starters, I think a net-based distribution model should be implemented, preferably using bittorrent. Here's how I can see it working:

1) Local cable company decides to offer a downloads package so that customers can download their programs at their leisure. Dunno how this would work monetarily; perhaps payment by episode, perhaps payment by season for any given show (i.e. sign up for Law & Order season 14), perhaps flat rate for all you can download. Prices would have to be *low* - for example, latest season of Law & Order on DVD is $60, which is about $2.50 per episode. I wouldn't pay this much just to watch the show if I could wait a few months and get it permanently, but I might pay $1 per show if it meant that I wouldn't have to pay for cable. If I regularly watched 7 shows a week (first tier, not including reruns of simpsons and whatnot), that would work out to $30 per month. That's not too bad, I think.

2) Distribution costs are going to be critical, so perhaps you could provide two options. First, direct download from a main server; perhaps there would be a main Law & Order server that serves all of North America, perhaps there could be distributed servers on West & East coast, or whatnot. Maybe 1 Canadian server and several US servers; I really have no clue how it would work best. Full price for direct download. Second option would be a torrent download. Now, the key for torrents is to both download *and* upload, so perhaps companies could provide a discount (10%? 15%?) for customers who have an upload/download ratio of 2:1 (upload 2 copies for 1 copy downloaded). Trackers could provide this information easily. This way, you could let your users help with the bandwidth a bit (we're not talking 10:1 here, as this bandwidth comes out of *our* pockets) which would help keep costs down.

3) Absolutely no way you could cut out advertising. What would be a problem would be making advertising regionally applicable. But, since we're talking about a digital format here, which makes it extremely easy to fast-forward ads (or even strip them altogether), maybe it would make sense to have banner ads on top/bottom of the show at all times. Yes, it would be annoying, but without advertising I don't see how this model would work.

4) The dreaded DRM. I don't see how DRM can be avoided. Yes, it would be cracked, but at least advertisers would be content knowing that their content can't easily be stripped out of the data stream. I used to subscribe to the electronic edition of the New York Times which used a proprietary viewer that was almost identical to PDF, which didn't bother me at all as I could copy the data files on my hard drive as much as I wanted to (re-downloading cost me more money, though).

Right now, even with a half-decent DSL connexion, it takes about a half hour to download an hour-length TV show (that's at 200kb/s, assuming 300mb file). It's not exactly convenient, and you'd have to plan ahead if you wanted to watch your show, *and* unless you had an HTPC setup you'd have to watch it on your computer, but right now my comp setup is as good, if not better, than my home stereo setup, so I don't see this as a problem for *everybody*.

To get back to your point, xb0xb0y: imagine if we had this hypothetical model in place. It would be ridiclously easy to buy a subscription to a British show and thereby avoid the problem of international copyright infringement because said show doesn't play locally. Might be a tad expensive, given the exchange rate from the UK to Canada, but it would be a legal option, anyway.

[LNahid2000]

theres still many other places to download tv shows. not as fast as this site but i still got last nights OC but this morning.

i wish we could pay a monthly fee for a service that allows us to download tv shows. i could record all my shows but id need 4 tuners to do it since on tuesday night i want to watch 4 shows at once (veronica mars, amazing race, one tree hill and house.) since i have two tuners, i download 2 of the shows and record the other 2. basically, i download for conveniece. if i miss a show, its not going to be re-aired for months if ever and i want to watch it. so i download it. i can't pay for it so what else am i going to do?

[$uperman]

BT Efnet is UP!!!! They need donations to pay for web hosting and so on.
C'mon lets help them out.

[LNahid2000]

BT Efnet is UP!!!! They need donations to pay for web hosting and so on.
C'mon lets help them out.
its not up according to their irc channel

[snplow]

its not up according to their irc channel
This suspiciously sounds like a LokiTorrent trap. Remember how they asked for donations and then the MPAA closed them down? The MPAA b*stards are trying to undermine people donating money so that if a website legitimatly asks for money, people won't donate for fear of a repeat of what happened to Loki.
:mad: :mad:

[bmaz]

MPAA Sues TV Program Swappers (http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-45-20050513MPAASuesTVProgramSwappers.html)

[Txiasaeia]

MPAA Sues TV Program Swappers (http://www.webpronews.com/news/ebusinessnews/wpn-45-20050513MPAASuesTVProgramSwappers.html)

IMHO, the title of the news article is inaccurate - they're not suing individual swappers (yet), but just the sites that provide the torrents. In fact, the article has the same info from the ZDNet article released this morning. Thought I'd point this out before somebody (else) comes along and freaks out ;)

[divx]

how about TV shows that don't even air in your country? i know some friends that watch shows from the UK that the don't even air in North America, let alone Canada.

anime is tv show, they are legal according to animesuki

[Hellfire]

I'm just glad my fav torrent site isn't dead. The server is located in the Netherlands, so I doubt they can be shut down so easily.

[luthair]

3) Absolutely no way you could cut out advertising. What would be a problem would be making advertising regionally applicable. But, since we're talking about a digital format here, which makes it extremely easy to fast-forward ads (or even strip them altogether), maybe it would make sense to have banner ads on top/bottom of the show at all times. Yes, it would be annoying, but without advertising I don't see how this model would work.

You can strip banners off files and frankly people are far more likely to do that. If you're actually paying for downloads then there is no reason to have ads.

We'll probably never see a legal download method for television, the makers get a lot of their money by selling rights to other countries.

I'm just glad my fav torrent site isn't dead. The server is located in the Netherlands, so I doubt they can be shut down so easily.

Arr Matey?

[LNahid2000]

from the #bt channel:

Welcome to #bt. We read that we may be sued by the MPAA. But we have NOT been sued or contacted by the MPAA, we have closed our website and will look more into what is going on. we will keep you updated. BTEFNET.COM does NOT belong to us....do NOT, I repeat, do NOT donate any money to them. #bt will continue to release our torrents via IRC

[22:00] [Request] Message:[BTEFNET.COM does NOT belong to us....do NOT, I repeat, do NOT donate any money to them. #BT will be without a website for quite some time. We will continue to release our torrents via IRC. Start getting used to it and stop asking if/when the site will return] - SysReset 2.51

[snplow]

from the #bt channel:
We will continue to release our torrents via IRC.

Damn, I now gotta learn how to use IRC. I'm sure there are some guides on the internet that can help me out.